Freelancers, what’s stopping you from forming a bigger company?

A) I’m happy working solo
B) I don’t have enough business to justify it
C) I’m working on it, not ready yet

For me it was a natural step going from solo freelance to my first agency. It’s not for everyone.

You?

Freelancers, how are you using AI?

A) Helping to generate ideas
B) To improve my deliverable and save time
C) I’d rather not talk about it

Bonus question:
Have you discussed the use of AI with clients?
A) Yes, and they’re fine with it
B) Yes, and they have a “no AI” rule
C) No

Freelancers, when you first work with a client do you go over your terms and conditions with them?

When and how you expect to get paid, timelines and schedules, ownership of materials or licensing, etc.?

Don’t just tack it onto your estimate assuming they’ll read it.

Do your clients look forward to working with you?

At my last agency one of our clients said that meeting with us was the most fun they have all week and they looked forward to it.

What do your clients say about you? Are they having fun?

Sometimes you just have to slog through it. Look at 10 things that don’t work to find the 1 that does.

But for this you need to get paid. After all, the client is getting paid to do this. You should be too. #FreelanceFriends

Yeah I’ve had the same. I don’t mind as long as I’m getting paid to figure it out.

Sometimes you just have to roll with it. #FreelanceFriends

A3 As an outsider you sometimes see opportunities that clients miss. Also helps if your idea makes them look good.

The best feedback? “Great idea. Let’s do this!”
#FreelanceFriends

I could never understand how people were expected to turn in appropriate work without a solid brief. 🤷‍♂️

#FreelanceFriends

A1 I’ll pitch something when I think it’s relevant. Also has to be within their frame of reference.

Just finished a 20-page PDF for a client who had done a similar one a few years ago.

We had been covering a lot of ideas in videos and I suggested we gather them up in a PDF. #FreelanceFriends

Generally no pitches. If you’re on the outside it’s hard to know what would be relevant to an agency client.

For us, hiring a freelancer always came with a very specific written brief and an opportunity to discuss it. #FreelanceFriends

Hey it’s the perennial late Andy in Toronto. Writer, ex-agency founder, author. #FreelanceFriends

Really it started with Nixon. Open up China so USA could get cheap goods. Consider how much TVs used to cost when they were made in the states.

Then make junk food cheap.

Now a large percentage of the population is fat and happy, camped out in front of the tv.

Only gotten worse since then.

This has always been my modest Venetian dream. A reasonable apartment somewhere, and a little motorboat like this one to putter around the canals and lagoon.

Is that too much to ask? 😉

Wow! Astounding that this goes on, and, what?… nothing? All perfectly fine?

Sounds like a lot of work. Think I’ll just trash Chrome. But still curious about why LinkedIn is doing this. What do they do with the info?

Wonder whether this started when they became a Microsoft company?

For the less technically minded: why? To what end?

So on a Mac, browse with Safari, not Chrome?

Hope this doesn’t keep everyone up at night…

That was the way for me. Even better, when clients left one org to work for another and brought me (us) along.

The trick was to keep the old client and gain a new one. Also, clients left to get a better, higher-paying job. That usually meant they were in charge of bigger budgets. Good news!

I’m with you. Never cold-called. Waste of time. All relationship based. #FreelanceFriends

Have you heard the expression The Surface Area of Luck”?

It equals the action you take towards your passion, times the number of people you communicate your passion and activities to.

Luck = Doing x Telling

Want to increase your luck?

Do more, tell more. 🤷‍♂️

Freelancers, your network is everything. I know this isn’t news, but it’s worth repeating.

When was the last time you called, texted, or emailed people on your list?

Think of something relevant to say and touch base. Connections pay off.

The Jays are just setting them up for disappointment in the 9th. 😉

Freelancers : Should you get paid for meetings?

Yes.

But some clients don’t want to pay for meetings.

So, don’t have “meetings”.

They’re “working sessions”, “planning sessions”, “presentations”.

Don’t break out separate line items. Wrap them into your deliverables. Get paid.

Luma tower Arles

Luma tower, Arles

Roof of Luma tower, Arles

View over Arles from Luma tower.

Art galleries, presentation spaces. Some outside shots, on the roof, and view over Arles including the Roman arena, still in use for concerts, opera, etc.

Freelancers: you should have a structured on-boarding process. Clients should understand how you work and what you expect of them.

At the same time, you should learn about how their business works.

Know what to expect of each other. Do it early. Fewer arguments later.

Freelancers, if potential clients sometimes tell you you’re too expensive, that’s ok. You’re not right for everyone.

If they ALWAYS say you’re too expensive, you’re talking to the wrong category of clients.

You need to work your way up to bigger clients with dedicated budgets.

Inside Frank Gehry’s LUMA Tower in Arles, France. Gehry at his playful best. Slides? Of course, a Gehry trademark.

Freelancers: find your groove. What kind of projects are your favourite? What type of clients do you like the most? Think of size and niche.

Now make a concerted effort to find more of those.

Be specific about what clients you want and go after them. It makes life much easier.

Blooming lilies.

#FreelanceFriends Ah, flowers. I love flowers. Here was our coffee table this morning.

#FreelanceFriends Late to the show. Andy in cloudy, rainy, but warmish Toronto.

Freelance copywriter, 2X agency founder, 2X author, etc 🤷‍♂️